‘WX 56’ is a new waxflower plant that originated as a seedling produced in a sexual breeding program conducted by the breeder at Medina and South Perth, Western Australia. ‘WX 56’ was selected from seedlings of a controlled cross of female parent Chamelaucium megalopetalum ‘CM 5.5’ (not patented), and male parent C. uncinatum ‘827/887-8’ (not patented). An embryo was excised from fruit produced in 2000 and germinated in vitro. The resulting seedling was subcultured in tissue culture four times, deflasked, hardened and planted in the field at the research station at Medina, Western Australia in May 2001. Following flowering in July 2002, the seedling was vegetatively propagated via cuttings and a second generation of cuttings taken in March 2003 at Medina, Western Australia. A subsequent generation was propagated vegetatively in 2009. Growth and flowering records of the generations were recorded from 2002 to 2005 and again in 2010. No off-types were recorded and all plants were found to be uniform and stable.
‘WX 56’ is distinguishable from its female parent ‘CM 5.5’ by a number of features, as described in Table 1 below:
TABLE 1CharacteristicCM 5.5WX 56Flower colorWhite/pink aging White aging to pink to bright redand then red/purpleLeaf lengthShortMediumPlant heightShortMedium
‘WX 56’ is distinguishable from its male parent ‘827/887-8’ by a number of features, as described in Table 2 below:
TABLE 2CharacteristicCM 827/887-8WX 56Flower colorPinkWhite aging to pink and then red/purpleLeaf lengthLongMediumLeaf cross-sectionRoundFlattened/triangular
‘WX 56’ is also distinguishable from other known waxflower varieties. Comparisons of ‘WX 56’ to ‘WX 58’ (not patented) and ‘Purple Gem’ (not patented), the most similar varieties of common knowledge, are set forth in Tables 3 and 4 below:
TABLE 3CharacteristicWX 58WX 56Flower color 28 days Dark purple/redMid red/purpleafter openingFlower diameterMedium-largeMediumLeaf lengthSmallMediumFlower colour of Red brownDark greenhypanthium day 28
TABLE 4CharacteristicPurple GemWX 56Flower colorMottled pink/white White aging to pink aging to purpleand then to red/purpleFlower diameterSmall-mediumMediumLeaf attitudeSemi-erectErectLeaf cross-sectionRoundedFlattened/triangular